Kelly the hero as England sink Spain on penalties to win Euro 2025
Spain dominated possession in Basel, Switzerland on Sunday and made the breakthrough in the 25th minute as Ona Batlle crossed and the England defence was caught flat-footed, allowing Mariona Caldentey to head the ball past Hannah Hampton.
With Lauren James struggling due to an ankle inury, England were struggling, but Kelly came off the bench to replace her just before the break and it proved an inspired substitution from Wiegman.
Kelly helped close down England's porous left flank and provided the cross for Alessia Russo to level in the 57th minute, the forward heading home her inch-perfect assist.
Spain continued to monopolise the ball but could not find another goal before the end of normal time, and the story continued through extra time as they probed and probed, but could not break through the English defence as the game finished 1-1.
The Spaniards got the shootout off to a great start when Cata Coll saved Beth Mead's effort, but England keeper Hannah Hampton stepped up and saved from Caldentey and then from Aitana Bonmati to put England in the driving seat.
Coll got Spain back into it with another one-handed stop to block Leah Williamson, but Spain substitute Salma Paralluelo then fired her kick wide of the target.
That set the stage for Kelly to repeat her 2022 heroics, when she scored the extra-time winner over Germany that won them the title at Wembley.
Kelly made her trademark prancing run-up before smashing the ball into the net and peeling away in ecstasy to celebrate with the rest of the players in front of the England fans.
'I'm so proud, so proud of this team, so grateful to wear this badge, and I'm so proud to be English … I was cool, I was composed and I knew I was going to hit the back of the net,' Kelly said.
Spain trailed for only four minutes in the entire tournament – and not for one second against England – yet could not seal their first European title.
The final was the first time since the inaugural edition in 1984 that the game was decided by a penalty shootout – a match in which England were beaten by Sweden.
Speaking to the BBC, England goalkeeper Hampton said: 'This team is just unbelievable, incredible.
'We've shown throughout this tournament [that] we can come back when we go a goal down. We have that grit. We never say die – we just keep going, and we did that today.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
9 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Calm amid the chaos: How England won Women's Euro 2025 title
Hands on her head, disbelief clouding her thoughts, Lioness defender Lucy Bronze stood frozen in front of the goal. England were 1-0 down in the Women's Euro 2025 final to the tournament favourites, Spain, and their team was a chaotic mess. It was a situation that was all too familiar. For the third match in a row, England's players stared at the scoreboard, devoid of answers. A 25th-minute header from Mariona Caldentey, the final touch on a blistering Spanish move down the right channel, had silenced the roaring Lionesses. 'Not again,' was the collective murmur of the England fans everywhere, from the tens of thousands packed into Basel's St Jakob-Park in Switzerland, to the millions watching nervously back home. They had seen this downbeat script before: a first-half Spain goal in the 2023 FIFA World Cup final in Sydney, Australia, had crushed English hearts. But this time, the ending was England's to write. Living up to their billing as the comeback queens of the tournament, the Lionesses clawed their way back into the contest through Alessia Russo's equaliser in the second half, forcing the world champions into extra time. Two hours of football saw the statistics heavily favour La Roja, but for all their skill and swagger, it was England's grit and grind that carried them through to victory. 'Football is chaos,' England coach Sarina Wiegman told the BBC after riding a rollercoaster of emotions on the touchline as her side beat Spain 3-1 on penalties. With her signature prancing run-up, Chloe Kelly buried the final spot kick into the net, triumphantly punching her fist in the air. The comeback, or 'remontada' as the Spaniards call it, was complete. The calm and composed Kelly, who also set up Russo's header, was once again the heroic face of England's title-winning team, just as she was at Wembley three years ago at Euro 2022. 'The first time was so nice, we had to do it twice,' remarked the 27-year-old, flashing a smile as she proudly held up the coveted gold medal hanging around her neck. Super-subs steal the show Sunday's comeback victory was a fitting nod to England's Euro 2025 campaign: thrilling, chaotic and entertaining. For a team that led for just under five minutes in the knockout stage, their ability to survive, adapt and strike when it mattered most defined their championship journey. And in doing so, they scripted one of the greatest chapters in English football history, a triumph rivalled only by the men's World Cup win at home in 1966. 'It has been the most chaotic tournament on the pitch…. From the first game, it was chaos,' said Dutchwoman Wiegman, who now has three Euro titles in her resume. 'Losing your first game and becoming European champions is incredible.' Indeed, England's title defence began with a 2-1 loss to France, casting early doubt over their credentials as true contenders. But resounding victories – a 4-0 thrashing of the mighty Netherlands and a 6-1 rout of neighbours Wales – steadied the ship as they sailed through to the knockouts. The storm, though, arrived soon enough, bringing with it the ultimate test of England's resolve at the business end of the tournament. The quarterfinals and semifinals pushed the team to the brink, demanding utmost composure from the players in the nerve-racking late-game moments. They rose to each occasion, with Wiegman's tactical nous and the squad depth proving decisive. Eleven minutes away from elimination in the quarterfinals, teen sensation Michelle Agyemang scored a superb equaliser against Sweden, as England recovered from two goals down to win 3-2 on penalties. The 19-year-old reserve player, whose surname fittingly means 'saviour of the nation', once again stepped up when it mattered the most, this time in the semifinals against Italy, netting a stoppage-time leveller to send the match into extra time. Super-sub Kelly then finished the job, converting the rebound from a missed penalty in the dying seconds of extra time. The impact of England's interchange players at the tournament was unmatched. They were directly involved in 10 goals, twice as many as any other side and the most ever recorded in a single edition of the tournament since 2013. 'Tough times don't last' Just six months ago, Kelly was struggling for minutes at Manchester City and unsure of her Euro 2025 spot, until a loan move to Arsenal changed her fortunes. 'Just around the corner was a Champions League final, won that, and now a Euros final, won that,' said Kelly, who has made a habit of changing matches when it matters most. 'If that's a story to tell someone, maybe experiencing something the same, tough times don't last.' Just like Kelly, goalkeeper Hannah Hampton also overcame adversity to emerge as one of England's most impactful players at the European Championships. The 24-year-old, playing in her first major tournament and filling in for the big shoes of Mary Earps, pulled off two brilliant saves in the quarterfinals with a bloodied nose before thwarting away two more crucial goal attempts in the final, including one from Aitana Bonmati, considered by many football commentators to be the best player in the world. Born with a serious eye condition that still affects her depth perception despite multiple surgeries, Hampton defied the odds, ending her Euro campaign with the player of the match award in the final. 'I think she's done amazing,' Wiegman said of Hampton. 'It's a bit like a fairytale to stop those penalties in the final of the Euros and to win it.' Having weathered the storm in Switzerland, Wiegman and the Lionesses are back on home soil. As they ride through roaring crowds in their open-top bus parade across London on Tuesday, the message is no longer, 'It's coming home'. This time, it's staying home.
Qatar Tribune
15 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Lionesses celebrate Euro 2025 win
PA Media/dpa London England headed to Downing Street for a celebratory reception after returning home to cheering crowds following their Women's European Championship triumph. The Lionesses successfully defended their crown with a 3-1 penalty shootout victory over Spain in the tournament's showpiece in Basel on Sunday evening. Alessia Russo cancelled out the opener from Arsenal team-mate Mariona Caldentey and, after drawing 1-1 following extra time, an entertaining final ultimately boiled down to penalties. Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton made two brilliant saves in the shootout before Chloe Kelly fired home from the spot to ensure England retained their European title. The Lionesses left their team hotel in Zurich on Monday morning with skipper Leah Williamson carefully escorting the trophy to the bus, and after returning to England the team travelled to Westminster and a reception hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and sports minister Stephanie Peacock. The team arrived just before 7 pm (1800 GMT), with Number 10 decorated for the occasion with St George's flags draped over windows and bunting along the railings. England head coach Sarina Wiegman told Sky Sports News the Downing Street reception was 'very, very special.' 'Downing Street, you don't come there normally and it was really nice how they built it up like this,' she said, gesturing towards the St George flags on display in windows and bunting along the railings around Number 10. 'It is very special to be able to go inside and also in the garden. The people there were very nice, they also put up some pictures of what we have done at the Euros.' 'It was lovely, a very warm welcome. I've felt love all over but today even more so,' she said. When asked about speculation that she could be in line for an honorary damehood, the Dutchwoman said: 'I haven't thought about that. I feel so much respect from England, the Royal Family too.' 'I think the most important thing is feeling valued. It's very special to get so much respect from England.' After almost a month of competition in Switzerland, the team's aeroplane branded with the word 'home' touched down in London on Monday afternoon. In a post on X, the team shared a photo of the Euros trophy draped in an England flag on a seat on the plane. Holding the trophy, Williamson was first to step off the plane alongside Wiegman. Outside the airport, crowds were lined up to welcome the team and the trophy back home. A homecoming open-top bus parade follows in central London on Tuesday, where there will be a procession along The Mall and the celebration will finish with a staged ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace. A trip to the Palace or Windsor Castle may be on the cards for the winning squad as it is understood possible plans for a reception in the autumn are being explored by royal aides. Defender Jess Carter has not joined her team-mates for the celebrations in London as she has returned to the United States ahead of Gotham FC's NWSL match against the Chicago Stars on Saturday.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Gill, India keep series alive with drawn fourth test against England
India, led by captain Shubman Gill, batted with great character to secure a hard-fought draw in the fourth test against England and keep the series alive going into the final game. After losing two wickets before they had scored a run in their second innings, India batted for over five sessions for the loss of two more wickets to end the match on 425-4 at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday. A courageous hundred from Gill – his fourth of the series – and dogged unbeaten centuries from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar – gave the home crowd little to cheer on a tough day five for England. A closely fought series remains at 2-1 to England, and the hosts must avoid defeat in the final test at The Oval in London, starting on Thursday, to win it. 'This is no less than a win for us, given we were around 300 runs off the lead. Our batsman put on a great display,' Gill told the BBC. 'As soon as England got the new ball, it was doing a little bit, but our batters did really well, and it was tremendous, with a little bit of luck going our way as some balls can get dragged on, brilliant batting and brave batting.' England captain Ben Stokes, who took five wickets in India's first innings but was not fit to bowl much on Saturday, brought himself into the attack on Sunday morning with India resuming on 174-2. The hosts were firm favourites to seal victory at this point, even more so when Stokes's reintroduction paid dividends. The 34-year-old trapped KL Rahul by lbw for 90, ending his excellent third-wicket partnership with Gill at 188. Gill remained undeterred, however, even after getting a nasty blow on the hand. In his first series as captain, the 25-year-old became only the third skipper to score four hundreds in a single test series. Gill Falls After almost seven hours at the crease, a tired-looking Gill wafted at a Jofra Archer delivery to fall just before lunch for 103. Jadeja was dropped on the next ball by Joe Root, a tough chance at first slip. England still had plenty of time to secure victory, but the home side barely created any chances, with India seeing out the draw in relative comfort. Washington moved along conservatively after lunch, but hit successive boundaries, one a huge six, to move to his fifth test half-century. Jadeja reached his fifty and passed 1,000 test runs against England, becoming the third Indian player to do so this series. After tea, with their chance of victory gone, England offered India the opportunity to call a halt to proceedings early, but Gill kept his team out there. With England rotating their bowlers, Jadeja swept to his fifth test ton under no pressure, before Washington quickly completed his maiden test hundred. India did then agree to a draw – the first non-rain affected draw for England since coach Brendon McCullum and Stokes came together in 2022. 'Another hard-fought test,' Stokes told reporters. 'Another five-dayer. We set the game up really well, the way we put the Indian bowlers under pressure, focusing on batting once. 'We gave ourselves a great chance of bowling them out. We played the game how we wanted to; it didn't just pan out the way we wanted,' Stokes added. 'Mentally, I feel fine; physically, I've been better. It has been a pretty big workload this series.'
